


Capture

by TreeOfTime



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 09:00:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21353635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TreeOfTime/pseuds/TreeOfTime
Summary: Vader arrives earlier then expected into the Hoth system, catching the Rebellion by surprise. Luke is still in the bacta tank, recovering from nearly dying in the freezing cold.Another chapter needed?
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker, Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader
Comments: 15
Kudos: 163





	Capture

When it came to timing on catching the rebel who destroyed the Death Star, Vader wasn’t the best. That severely angered him. More times then he’d admit, that’s why the bodies of Empire officers or troopers always seemed to collapse at his feet every time he failed, no, they failed. How hard was it to keep one rebel from escaping? One that was a child with little to none experience in fighting or being sly.  
Vader watched too many recordings of the boy being cornered, coming up with an extreme idea that could get him killed, and managing to succeed with barely a scratch on him. Usually, that’s when someone’s neck would snap. Or, prior when the news was given, and poorly received. The boy’s friends were just the same, a smuggler named Han Solo and a princess, Leia Organa were especially encouraging of his behavior. He came up with the idea, they followed. Or, it was vice versa. At least the rebel followed the Force and its prodding in his ideas, causing less harm. His… friends were even more reckless then he was.  
Darth Vader finally focused on the current moment, Admiral Piett raggedly breathing before him and Vader partially wondered if he had begun to choke him out of frustration. The Force sung in confirmation as Piett was the closest to him. Ah, the closest target. Vader unclenched his fist that was at his side and Piett took in a deep breath before forcing back a cough. Vader was rather amused that he hadn’t choked him to death, it must have just begun. Admiral Piett was just newly promoted, the prior Admiral having just been removed by the same manner Piett was recovering from. 

“We are about to enter the Hoth System, Lord Vader.” Piett rasped, trying to clear his throat without coughing. Vader mused in amusement that Piett must have seen at one point that someone coughing had irked him and finished the throat crushing instead of sparing them. He wouldn’t be surprised if that’s why his face was turning red from strain in resisting. 

“How close are we, Admiral?” Vader asked, turning away to stare at the approaching planet as they came out of hyperspace. In the Force, from the small winter moon, he felt surprise, realization, and then tasted fear. Fear deep and dark, making him revel in it.

“We are close enough to block eighty five percent of evacuees, Lord Vader. Those who escaped will be shot down most likely.” Admiral Piett supplied, having followed his command to get as close to the planet as possible before allowing themselves to leave hyperspace. Yes, the fear was growing as news spread on the planet. They hadn’t seen them coming.

“Make sure it’s a hundred percent, Admiral. You will not want to fail.” Vader growled, knowing his vocoder made it more menacing. Piett swallowed heavily and saluted, quickly rushing to block any chance of escape. While the empire ships scrambled to prepare an air and ground assault, Vader slipped into the Force. Searching.  
What he searched for was a light, warm and bright compared to his dark powers. It made the dark force hiss, but Vader forced it on. He controlled it, it did not control him. It took much longer then Vader had desired before he felt it brush against his mind. It wasn’t a conscious effort, making Vader realize the legendary rebel, was asleep. Vader pushed the force into the light and realized the boy was hurt and wasn’t voluntarily sleeping. His own eyes closed behind his mask as he sank deeper into the Force, trying to understand before it occurred to him the unconscious feeling was like drifting in water. Ah, the boy was in a bacta tank, in a medical coma. When he analyzed it, his anger spiked from its constant reveling inside of him, making the glass before him crack. Luke Skywalker was hurt, defenseless. He had no idea he was about to finally be in Vader’s grasp. If the rebellion was able to get him out and onto a ship before Vader arrived. He would not let it happen. Waking from a bacta session took time, time the rebellion didn’t have. Vader, behind his black mask, smiled cruelly. The entire crew surrounding him, shivered as the temperature dropped and all of them knew what caused it.

\----

“Those ion cannons better hold up!” Han Solo yelled and scrambled not to fall on his ass as he chased after the insufferable princess, desperately trying to reach Luke before it was too late. Chewie was preparing the last ship, their ship, to escape. The ground trembled from an explosion and Han Solo just knew it, the ion cannons were gone. The only thing that had helped with escape from the fleet above their heads.

“We have to get Luke!” Leia yelled over the rumbling of the mountain above them. Han Solo scowled, grabbing her wrist. 

“You heard your rebel compatriots! They already breached the south path! And if you hadn’t just heard it! That ion cannon is gone! Ground troops are either in the medical wing or about to breach it! We have to go!” Han Solo shouted, ignoring C3PO whimpering behind them as they glared at each other, battle of the wills. The only thing that broke that battle was them hearing shots and rebels screaming down the hall, just before seeing several rebels turn the corner, running for their lives. Leia’s face fell before she sharply turned, running the other direction. Han Solo cursed the day Luke and that crazy old man dragged him into this, especially when he grabbed C3PO by the hand and nearly dragged him to the Millennium Falcon.

They barely made it and the entire time, Leia didn’t speak, fighting back tears that made Han Solo angrier and angrier by the minute. He had no idea what the hell was going on between Leia and Luke but it made him hot and angry. It didn’t help that the two seemed to instantly bond and act like they hadn’t just truly met. Though it had been several years now with the Rebellion, the two never seemed phased by the lengths they hadn’t seen each other. Instead they were excited. Chewie definitely loved to rib him on about it.  
“We’ll get him back, Leia. We’ll get him back.” Solo tried to placate her as they hid in the asteroid field after nearly fifteen minutes of dodging TIE fighters and managing to lose them long enough to hide. They hadn’t been ready for the attack, they should have known. “Vader had put a bounty on him with strict words of him wanted alive, I doubt he will suddenly change him mind.” He added on before Leia suddenly got up and left the cockpit, leaving Chewie and Solo alone. Chewie growled at him and Solo muttered a curse under his breath, hating himself even more. 

\----

Luke seemed to be dreaming, only just tampering with the Force these past few years of hiding, as he stood out in the icy wastes of the planet the rebellion was hiding on. Luke frowned as he felt… warm. Glancing down, he found himself in his rebellion clothes, his moisture farmer clothes long forgotten, happily. This definitely had to be a dream, he would be getting frozen fingers by now, especially with it turning to night.  
“Skywalker.” The wind seemed to hiss, making him stiffen as he felt it brush his cheek. “Skywalker…” It hissed again, making him frown. His dreams were always confusing, never clear. They were always were where he was, the frozen hell, for example. Reaching up, Luke threaded his fingers into his growing hair with a breath of frustration. The dreams never made sense. Never. 

“Skywalker.” This time, it wasn’t the wind hissing it, but a respirator coming from behind him. Luke stiffened in horror, knowing that signature sound from anywhere. Rebels had nightmares about him. Leia had nightmares about him. Though she didn’t like to admit it. Sharply turning around, Luke sucked in a breath, feeling the temperature drop and he shivered as he met the gaze of Darth Vader. Darth Vader stood a ships distance away from him, the snowy wings making his cape billow out at his side while snow landed on his black armored body while behind Vader was the Rebellion base. “Skywalker.” Vader spoke again, making Luke take a step back, terrified of the hand who served the Empire. “It is time.”

“Time for what?” Luke demanded and suddenly, he felt icy tendrils wrap around his body, his mind, and his very soul. Making him shake from its touch.

“Time for you to wake.” Vader almost seemed amused by it, and suddenly, Luke’s eyes opened.

It stung, his eyes with whatever hit them. He struggled to breathe for a moment, his throat burning as he realized a tube was down his throat to make sure he got air. Struggling briefly, his hands hit… glass? They made a muted thunk noise as he tried to understand what was going on. Luke managed to allow himself not to panic, something heavy in his mind easing it as well as he learned to breathe with the tube forcing air in and out of his lungs. Once he had that under control, he tried to look through the murkiness. Luke blinked slowly and squinted, seeing… a hand? Pressed up against the glass through the haziness in his eyes. Unable to understand, Luke reached through the murkiness and pressed his hand against the other unknown hand, feeling a sudden pulse of surprise respond in his mind. Luke slowly shook his head, not understanding as he felt like he was floating. Luke didn’t like the admit the fact he realized he was in a bacta tank not immediately was embarrassing. Once he understood, partially, he tried to focus past the murkiness. White and black shapes moved around the room, but the only true black one he saw before him. Where the figure dropped their hand, Luke pushed himself closer to the glass before he realized he was staring at Vader.  
The reaction was immediate, he choked on the tube and thrashed, screaming in his mind for Leia, Solo, Chewie, ANYONE to hear him and help. It remained unanswered. The presence in his mind increased and he shuddered as it slid down his spine. He came to understand it was Vader, trying to force a calmness over him. He fought as he suddenly was pushed up. Out of sight Vader was but when his head breached the bacta holding him, rough hands grabbed him and jerked him out of the tank. The cold of Hoth hit him directly and he kicked, fighting weakly as someone grabbed the tube in his mouth and nearly ripped it clean out. Luke let out a pitiful cry of pain as it scrapped the back of his throat, it made him struggle harder as curses were thrown his way.  
“Stop struggling, you Rebel scum!” Someone snarled and a fist connected with his head, jarring him into dazed submission as he slumped to the floor. If he could have been embarrassed in that moment, he would have as he only had some underwear on, something he didn’t notice until that moment. Vader had seen him in his underwear, may the Force kill him now. 

\----

Vader had been one of the first to enter the base, unable to handle this brimming excitement running through his veins at the idea of Luke Skywalker being so close, defenseless and unable to run away. He had sense Han Solo and Leia approaching but quickly fleeing as the stormtroopers in front of him killed several screaming Rebels. He’d retrieve them later, he would need them later to turn Skywalker complacent towards the Dark Force. To revel in it, to accept it into himself so he could become strong to protect those he loves. Then Vader would crush it, it would drive him to the edge of madness but perfection of a Sith apprentice.  
“Sir, we found the medical wing, Skywalker is in a bacta tank.” Vader cut down the Rebel prisoner before him with his lightsaber before turning it off, hooking it to his belt he followed the stormtrooper quickly to see him. Finally.

Vader walked into the room to find the tank dead center of the room, droids continuing their duties without their masters to tell them to stop. Several crates were upended, tools strewn about, forgotten as their patient in the tank. Vader walked closer and studied the boy. He was injured, bruising in his face and eye socket. Though his expression was… soft, unworried, sleeping. Vader turned to the control panel next to the bacta tank for clues as to why the boy was hurt. Reading it quickly, he felt his missing eyebrow raise. He had been in the dead of the night caught in a blizzard, hypothermia having kicked in and hallucinating by the doctor’s notes. It made a mentioning of Han Solo being the one to find him. He was weak, but he would be fine. That satisfied Vader, for now.  
Turning back to the boy, he pushed his mind into the younger man’s, no response or reaction. He was in a Force dream. Vader didn’t like visions from the Force. They never ended well, they always happened no matter his attempts to prevent it. Closing his eyes behind his mask, he concentrated, pushing into the dream. Surprisingly, the Force allowed it, welcoming him even. Vader was surprised by it but also to see the snowy vastness before him, Luke directly in front of him with his back turned. It took little prodding to make the boy focus on the dream, to lure him into wakefulness even with his terror in the Force. It ended quickly once he woke, seemingly having forgotten Vader being there. Vader blinked his eyes open to find his hand against the glass, and Luke reaching back to touch. Vader could only stare at the young man who was confused, in pain, and trying to understand this. The Hand of the Empire reached back and soothed him into calmness, especially when he choked on the tube in his throat. When Luke truly saw him, he screamed into the Force, like a siren breaking glass with their screams. Vader jerked back his hand and watched as Luke was dragged out of the bacta tank to the upper medical floor. Vader tried not to think of the reactions Luke had given him as he went to find the stairs to where Luke had gone. It took only a couple of minutes, but pain entered the Force and he found Luke shivering on the cold floor, bacta all over him and stormtroopers handling him roughly. He merely flicked his hand and their necks snapped. Crumpling to the floor, he stopped directly in front of the boy and eyed him. Luke just seemed dazed, staring at his boots. Vader tasted Luke’s fear but also… acceptance. He thought he was going to die by his soon-to-be master’s hand. Vader let out a scoff the vocoder didn’t bother to pick up. 

“For such a legendary hero of the Rebellion, you are certainly weak.” Vader mused out, staring down at the stiffened back, Luke raised his head and glared into the mask Vader wore, a symbol of terror

“Go flirt with Hutt spawn.” Luke spat out, making Vader’s anger rise as he watched the already weak man pale under his gaze and shrink back, bumping into the bodies of the stormtroopers.

“I would prefer never to be anywhere near anything considered Hutt.” Vader replied dryly after a moment of calming himself down. His lips hurting as they curled in the corners under his mask. The boy said nothing in response, making Vader drop his smile of victory to growl before reaching and jerking him up onto his feet. He yelped and nearly slid back down from the bacta on him, Vader kept him on his feet. “Come, and don’t bother to run, the base is mine and now, you are too.”


End file.
